Tuesday 24 March 2015

HI-VIS SAFETY FOR SCHOOLS & LEISURE

With the recent news that one Irish school, Gormanston College in Co Meath, is to make its uniform high-vis in a bid to keep its students safe, we take a look at the importance of high-visibility clothing outside of its 'highway and construction' label. 

More and more cyclists, runners, horseriders, bikers and anyone hitting our roads for leisure or otherwise,  are getting kitted out in neon high visibility clothing so they can be more easily seen by drivers whatever the weather conditions and whatever the time of day.

In many European countries it is a legal requirement to carry a high visibility tabard or waistcoat for every occupant in your vehicle in case of breakdown.
Here in the UK many children wear dark uniforms. Whether school children are walking, cycling or just crossing the road after being dropped off in a car, it can be hard to see children wearing dark clothing, especially on misty, rainy mornings and even more so during Winter months when light fades quicker. Some coats, bags or shoes may feature reflective trims which help with visibility after dark but are not enough for daytime and twilight visibility.
Just by observing the difference wearing or not wearing hi-vis can make is clearly seen with this horse and rider;


Around 16 horse riders are killed each year on our roads, and one teenager is campaigning to make wearing high visibility clothing whilst riding out a legal requirement.
There's a reason why many workplaces enforce the use of high-visibility clothing, one of safety and reduction in accidents.  If we were to apply the same mentality to all who use our highways, whether it be on a school run, hacking out on horse back, cycling to and from work, one can't help but wonder what the overall reduction in road accidents would be.
When it comes to the safety of our friends, family, and even pets, there should be no compromise on their safety.  Hi-Vis clothing is an extremely cost effective solution to help make sure you are seen well in advance to help avoid accidents which could otherwise be avoided.